The Next Best Book Club discussion

Thank you Petra and Lori.

Ann from S.C. wrote: "Next on my reading list is ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand. Has anyone read it? It is huge!! And the words are so tiny!!"

I haven't read Atlas Shrugged but I'm currently reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Her writing style takes some getting used to. Overall, I'm really enjoying it but I'm not going to lie, it's been work getting through this one. I've got 100 pages to go!

next on my list is The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

Ann from S.C. wrote: "Next on my reading list is ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand. Has anyone read it? It is huge!! And the words are so tiny!!"

Ann - I just finished Part One of Atlas Shrugged, I actually really like it, but it is taking me forever to read because it is so overwhelming. And you are right, I have never seen text so tiny!

Robert wrote: "So it's either The Importance of Being Earnest or The Picture of Dorian Gray. Really interested, because I really have no clue about his style or even his philosophy.
"

I have only read Dorian Gray and it was excellent. I don't know about Importance of Being Earnest but I've heard it is good too. I guess it depends on what you would like. Importance of Being Earnest is a more "lighter/humorous" (in the sense of tone/mood, I think...) and it is a play, whilst Picture of Dorian Gray is rather Gothic and it's a novel :)

Edith wrote: "I'm currently reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Her writing style takes some getting used to. Overall, I'm really enjoying it but I'm not going to lie, it's been work getting through this one. I've got 100 pages to go!
..."


The Fountainhead was my least favorite of Ayn Rand's books. I don't know if it was the characters or the storyline or what but I found it hard to get through.

It's definitely the characters for me. I've wanted to shake them pretty much through the entire book. I like the story though. I've heard a ton of conflicting opinions about all of Ayn Rand's work. I hope to read Atlas Shrugged at some point but I'm definitely going to take a little break after reading The Fountainhead :)

Ann from S.C. wrote: "Next on my reading list is ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand. Has anyone read it? It is huge!! And the words are so tiny!!"

Ann - I LOVED Atlas Shrugged. I think that it is perfectly acceptable to separate out the political agenda from the story in this book. So many people complain about this book becuase they dont agree with Ayn's philosophies, but you know what? I dont care. I think the book tells a great story that is well written and entertaining. And if you have to skip over a few page long paragraphs from John Gault, so be it.

Hope you like it!

I am halfway thru God Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe. After that there are two books next on my list Picking Cotton Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption and That Mean Old Yesterday.

Since I am currently reading Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind, my next read is going to be Stone of Tears. Following that it will be American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield and Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind.

Jo, I read Dracula (last years October read) and Frankenstien last Halloween.... Great books to read at this time of year!!!

Dracula and Franky were both good books overall, the way they were written were a bit taxing for me tho. If you like journal entries and letter formats, then you will like these.

I do think they are books that everyone should read at some point in their life, tho!

Rita wrote: "I just started Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson. I enjoyed the first one, so I am looking forward to this.

I too, read multiple books at once so who knows what else I may pick up."

Rita, I have about 80 pages to go in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and plan to read The Girl Who Played with Fire next (already bought it). Have you started it? Just as engaging as the first?

Almost done with Orhan Pamuk's Snow, and then I'm thinking of tackling the Radetsky March, by Joseph Roth. I stumbled across a nice old hardback in a used bookstore - I'm a sucker for anything dusty, i guess.

Diane D. wrote: "Rita wrote: "I just started Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson. I enjoyed the first one, so I am looking forward to this.

I too, read multiple books at once so who knows what else I may..."

yes, it is. Took me a few chapters to get into it, as did the first one. But now, halfway through, I can't put it down.

If I can ever finish THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, the next book will be THE ANGELS GAME. I am finding TSOTW very boring, but not enough to put it away. I guess because I bought it and not borrowed it from the library.

Rita wrote: "I just started Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson. I enjoyed the first one, so I am looking forward to this."

I had mixed feelings about the first book. I think I had too high expectations. And I'm not that into crime anymore. But I bought the second book and will read in. And probably the third too. It's still more expensive than the others in the bookstores though, so I'm waiting a while before I get it.

For me, my next book will be Sid Vicious No One is Innocent. I just recently bought it, and am really looking forward to it.

Just finishing up Amsterdam by Ian McEwan! Next book on my list is From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris!

I am actively reading Every Man Dies Alone, which is really really good, and Methland The Death and Life of an American Small Town, which is good, but I won't know how good til he comes to some sort of conclusion and I'm not even close yet.

Meanwhile, Say You're One of Them is waiting for me at the library and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is in transit.

I must read faster....

Right now I'm still reading Fingersmith and by the time I finish, it'll be close enough to October, so I can finally get cracking on some of my horror/supernatural books. I think first on the list will be The Exorcist, followed by probably Frankenstein, and then I'll just continue from there with The Living Dead Anthology. I love October!

Dree wrote: "I am actively reading Every Man Dies Alone, which is really really good, and Methland The Death and Life of an American Small Town, which is good, but I won't know ho..."

I just requested Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie from my library. I was talking to a friend last night, and she recommended it (plus a bunch more). I can't keep up.

Dree wrote: "I am actively reading Every Man Dies Alone, which is really really good..."

That sounds like a really interesting book.

I just started reading Sid Vicious No One is Innocent, so next on my list is Fear of Flying.

I thought having a Kindle would stop my mad book-buying habit. Instead, all I do is stock up on them on the Kindle:)

For October I would read October Light --I love the way Gardner talks about how the only thing left in October in New England is the quality of the light itself. When the leaves start dropping I want to gather them up and shove them back on the branches again-- at least this way I can think about the light.

Am reading & enjoying Home Repair. Perfect for November, though, great chaotic Thanksgiving scene.

Finally, remember the amazing Halloween scene at the end of To Kill a Mockingbird It does not get any better than that!

Loving Frank is my next book after I finish The Reader

I am trying to decide what I should read next!! I need help! I am trying to decide between Jane Eyre, Fahrenheit 451, Dracula, and Life of Pi!!!

Lauren wrote: "I am trying to decide what I should read next!! I need help! I am trying to decide between Jane Eyre, Fahrenheit 451, Dracula, and Life of Pi!!! "

I have read Fahrenheit 451 and Life of Pi, but I can't help you with the other two.

I HATED 451. I found it to be extremely corny, overrated, and I felt that the ending was pathetic and offered very little closure.

I enjoyed Life of Pi quite a bit. I am actually planning on re-reading it here within the next month.

lauren, Fahrenheit 451 is more an allegory, as all Bredbury works, without vivid kinds of people and portrayals, but with science-fiction visions and symbols. Jane Eyre is somewhat opposite to that, it's full of melodramaric plot lines, very wordy portrayals and strictly realistic.

Dracula, and Life of Pi I didn't read

I enjoyed Jane Eyre. I plan on reading Dracula in October.

I know that doesn't really help, but maybe you should read Dracula for the month of October...kind of that Halloween type book.

LIFE OF PI was a great book!

When I get done with THE LOST SYMBOL, I want to read John Shors new book, DRAGON HOUSE.

I'm partway through The Lost Symbol, but I paused to read the last book in the Mercedes Thompson series. So now that I've finished that, I plan to finish The Lost Symbol, and hopefully my recent acquisitions of Cry Wolf and Magic Study won't pull me away from it again. And I suspect I might get Catching Fire from the library this weekend.

F451... do it! It was such a great novel. My absolute favorite from Bradbury!

I re-read F451 last year, and was suprised at how relevant it still is, given the fact it was published in the early 1950s. GREAT book.

For some upcoming reading challenges and book reviews, I've committed to reading the following in the next month:

The Bottom of the Sky
Crossers
Dracula
Frankenstein
The Woman in White
The Great Gatsby
The Gargoyle
The Crying Tree A Novel
Deal Breaker
The Lost Symbol
The Giver

Not sure how that's going to happen, since I generally read about eight books a month. (I guess sleep is overrated anyways...)

Miss GP! I absolutely LOVE Harlan Coben! I suggest you start off reading Deal Breaker! You will NOT be disappointed.
Coben can definitely drawn you in from the first page and keep you guessing til the last! Enjoy! :)

Karen wrote: "I just requested Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie from my library. ."

Hi Karen. I would be interested in knowing your thoughts on The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie when you have finished. I read it this past June.

:)

Oh No! MY entire library queue seems to be showing up at once. I HATE that.

I have finished Methland The Death and Life of an American Small Town, which was quick and 4 stars. (from the queue)

I am still on Every Man Dies Alone, but since there's no queue for it, it keeps getting put aside. It's over 500 pages and I am approaching 200.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is so good I can't put it down, and I won't be able to renew it, so this works out.

Say You're One of Them is actually short stories--but the next one is over 100 pages, with no chapters. I hate that. Depressing, sad, yet really good and somehow uplifting.

I have A Final Arc of Sky A Memoir of Critical Care on it's way, and The Food of a Younger Land The WPA's Portrait of Food in Pre-World War II America, and Wedding Girl, and Girl in a Blue Dress will all be here in the next 10 days (some more, some less).

I can't keep up! I am usually pretty good about managing my queue, but it has gotten out of hand!

I think next up for me will be a biography but I need to decide between Motley Crue - The Dirt & My Brothers Keeper - The Official Bra Boys Story.

I think i'm leaning more toward the Motley Crue one as it has been sitting on my shelf for longer.

Jennifer wrote: "Karen wrote: "I just requested Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie from my library. ."

Hi Karen. I would be interested in knowing your thoughts on [book:The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie|603..."

I read it earlier in the year, and I thought it was just so-so. I found the protagonist too precocious for my tastes; I found her kind of annoying, actually. But, I did like it enough that I wouldn't rule out reading the sequel.

For October, I am really going to try to stick with a scary, creepy, halloween theme.

I am planning on reading HELP! A Bear is Eating Me! as soon as I finish Her Fearful Symmetry. Then onto The Woman in White and The Witches of Eastwick. From there, who knows!

I'm finishing up Black Cathedral and after that I think I'm going to start on House Of Blood by Bryan Smith.

Cristy wrote: "I think next up for me will be a biography but I need to decide between Motley Crue - The Dirt & My Brothers Keeper - The Official Bra Boys Story.

I think i'm leaning more toward the Motley Crue..."

Ooo! Read Motley Crue: The Dirt! Loves it!

Lori wrote: "F451... do it! It was such a great novel. My absolute favorite from Bradbury!"

This makes me not want to read any of his other books because I hate 451 so much lol

Miss GP wrote: "For some upcoming reading challenges and book reviews, I've committed to reading the following in the next month:

The Bottom of the Sky
Crossers
[book:Dracula|172..."

The way I have been trying to get through my current book challenge is I added the number of pages I have to read and divided that by the number of days I have, and I have to read an average of 120 pages per day to reach my goal. Maybe you should do something like that so you can set a good pace.

I want to read the following books in the month of October:
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Cabal by Clive Barker
The Omen by David Seltzer
The Stand by Stephen King
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

And last but not least I want to reread Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier! One of my all time favorite books!

Jessi wrote: "I added the number of pages I have to read and divided that by the number of days I have, and I have to read an average of 120 pages per day to reach my goal. Maybe you should do something like that so you can set a good pace..."

I kind of do something similar. I know the date by which I have to finish a book, and then divide that book's pages by number of days available. Realistically, though, it's still more pages than I can manage in a day; one or two will have to be jettisoned, unfortunately!

Starting The Omen by David Seltzer! Up next... maybe The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris? We will see!

Vickie wrote: "Hi everyone! This looks like a great discussion group.

On my shelf to be read:

God's Harvard. A Christian College on a Mission to Save America.
The Ivy Tree - Mary Steward
Mystery Mile - Margery..."

When I was younger I read every book Mary Stewart had ever written. Is she still living?

Next up for me is Dead and Alive by Koontz. This is the 3rd in his Frankenstein series and took forever to come out. I am also DYING to read Her Fearful Symmetry but too cheap to go buy a copy. I may break down and do it though :) Also, yesterday I got an ARC of Unfinished Desires A Novel that I should probably get to soon. It comes out in Dec-09. Anyone know this author? It's the first I've heard of her.

Sherrie.... HFS was a great book! I just finished it this evening.... Do consider picking it up!